A Lifetime of Minutes
by Just Another Angry Feminist
Summary: Renesmee and Jacob are finally getting married, even if her stomach is a ball of nerves and Alice has decided that talking to the groom on your wedding day is blasphemy. In the end, Nessie and Jake know it's just them, even in a yard full of people.


**This is just a oneshot I've had sitting in my folder forever. I figured I'd share it with the world finally.**

 **The only things I don't own are the Cullens and the Pack and Claire. Everything else is mine.**

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I've known this today was going to happen my entire life, but that didn't stop my palms from sweating like crazy. My heart has been Jacob Black's since I was born, maybe even before that, and I knew it was the same for him. I wasn't nervous about that, I was nervous I would make a total fool of myself in front of everyone at the reception. How I look so much like my father but act so much like my mother I would never understand.

My back was starting to ache from sitting in the same position in the same chair for almost three hours. Alice and Rosalie have been doing their best to give us the wedding we deserved, or at least that's what they've been saying. I was trying to calm my anxiety by texting Jake, but Alice informed me of the "rules of the wedding day" and put an end to that.

"There's no texting the groom on the day of the wedding. It's bad luck!" Alice shrieked, snatching the phone out of my hands and putting it in her pocket. "You'll see him in a few hours, I'm sure you can last that long."

I jutted out my bottom lip and batted my obnoxiously long lashes at her, but she held her ground. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that Rose had put fake eyelashes on me and dislodged one of them in the process. She growled before regluing it to my eyelid and physically holding my head still until both of them were dry. Have I mentioned how much I hate it when the two of them made me their own personal Barbie doll?

"If you mess up my masterpiece again, you're not marrying the mutt!" she threatened me.

I just nodded and tried to get my wits back. Jacob Ephraim Black and I were Imprints, made to love each other, so this was just the natural next step. He and I had already shared our first time together, and many times after that, and talked about marriage. He actually asked me seven times before I agreed six months ago.

I wanted a winter wedding with snow everywhere just like Phoebe had on _Friends_. I knew it wasn't practical for all of our human friends and family, but they would all do anything to make me smile. The humans just had to wear layers and not question why the werewolves were sweating in their thin dress shirts and my family was perfectly fine with their sleeves rolled up to the elbow.

"I can't believe you're already getting married. I remember holding you in my arms," Nana said, coming up behind me and slipping my curls over my shoulders. "I changed your diapers!"

"Tell me about it," I heard mom exclaim from by the door. "I was helping her developing kidneys eight years ago, and now I've been exiled from the dressing room."

"You keep interfering and I have to finish her hair," Rose announced, shifting Nana around so she could get to it. "I've got to make her look perfect so the dog knows what he's getting into."

"Rose, I love him so much. Why do you have to be so mean to him?" I asked suddenly, my nerves getting the better of me. "Jake is going to be my husband, you've got to start respecting him. I know you think he's not good enough for me, but the two of us were made for each other. He's it for me -forever."

For the first time in my entire life, Rosalie seemed to be at a loss for words. Maybe I was being a total bridezilla, but I couldn't help it. I wanted her to know I loved him like she loved Emmett, it wasn't something she could change because she thought he was _below_ me. He was it for me, I was never going to fall in love with someone else.

"She's right, Rose," mom said, leaning back against the vanity table in front of us. "Jake's her heart and she's his, Edward and I have come to terms with that. It's time you do, too."

I saw she wanted to fight back but held her tongue. I knew that was about as close as I was going to get to her ever accepting our relationship. As much as she heckled Jake, he dished it right back out to her. I thought it was amusing most of the time, I was just a wreck right now. Jake was the only thing helping me keep a shred of my sanity and Alice put a total ban on all our communication.

The rest of the day went by achingly slow as everyone made sure I looked perfect. By the time Alice held up my dress, I was exhausted and I hadn't even done anything. Alice held the dress open as mom and Rose helped me step inside the gown that cost more than a small village. It had been imported from Italy, there wasn't and never would be another like it.

I wanted to fuss about the price of it, but I held squelched the desire. I'd grown up with them throwing their money around on everything and anything I wanted. I'd long learned it was pointless for me to argue about it –they would all do whatever they wanted. Mom just told me to pick my battles and this wasn't one of them.

I was still barefoot when I made my way over to the floor length mirror to look at myself for the first time. I almost didn't recognize the girl in the reflection, I looked so gorgeous. The sides of my hair were twisted back with curls falling over my shoulder and a veil tucked into the back of it. The dress was so beautiful and I was delighted to see the white didn't wash out my pale skin like I'd feared.

"I don't even look like myself…" I whispered as Alice walked up to me with my shoes in her hand. "Thank you so much!"

I slipped the heels onto my feet and flashed a grateful smile their way when they left me alone. I was thankful because I seriously needed a second to gather myself before the wedding. I gingerly touched the twists on the side of my head and debated if they looked good or not. I did have a HUGE forehead…

"You look perfect, my love. Your forehead is gorgeous, just like every other part of you," my dad said from the doorway. "You aren't my little girl anymore, are you?"

Technically I was only ten years old, but I was already at physical maturity. Jake swore to both my parents we wouldn't get married until I was mature enough to handle it. I threw a fit when I heard, but it only proved the point even more. As I got older, I understood my parents' reluctance to let me marry before I was old enough to understand everything that came along with being committed to someone for the rest of my life…like I wasn't already.

"I feel like the littlest girl in the world right now," I told him, turning away from the mirror to face him. "Tell me I'm in over my head and this is a bad decision."

"I have a surprise for you, love," he said, holding out his hand for me. "Just trust me."

I took his hand in mine and followed him out of the room. He made me stand at the end of the hallway and swear to not look around the corner. I raised my eyebrows at him, but he just brushed me off. I realized why a few seconds later when I heard Jake's heart beating in sync with mine.

"You can't look at each other or Alice and Rose will kill me," dad explained, standing where we could both see him but not each other. "Carlisle told me that your Imprint bond means you can calm each other down better than anyone else. You're both freaking out, and I can't see my little girl work herself up into a fit."

I saw Jake extend his hand around the corner and I eagerly took it in both mine. Just the feel of his skin against mine made the tension in my shoulders dissolve. I leaned back against the wall and calmed my breathing down to match his. I was marrying my best friend in less than an hour, I had absolutely nothing to be worried about.

"I love you so much, Nessie. This is going to be the first day of the rest of our lives," he said, I could head the smile in his voice. "I can't wait to see what you look like, it was driving me crazy not seeing you or hearing your voice."

He kept talking about nothing and I let it sooth my frazzled nerves. His thumb was rubbing circles into the top of my hand and I finally felt myself relax completely. I could do this, I had nothing to worry about because he was going to love me no matter what happened today. No matter if I fell and took out the front row of the wedding party.

"I can do this," I finally said, stopping him mid-story about his hunt last night. "I can do this, I can go out there and walk down the aisle. Let's do this, let's go right now!"

I was beyond excited to marry him, I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to go right now. I wanted to see him more than anything, I think that might have been the real reason for my sudden excitement. Hearing his voice and feeling his touch was one thing, but I wanted to see him smile and see his eyes.

"I'm going to kill Edward! It's time for the wedding and you two are together," Alice announced, throwing her hands up in the air as she found the group of us standing in the hallway. "Jacob Black, you go your way and I'm going to take Nessie hers. And for the love of all things holy, you'd better not peek!"

"I'll see you in a minute," Jake whispered, squeezing my hand one more time before letting it go. "I love you."

"I love you more," I smiled, standing up straight and walking over to Alice. "Let's go, I want to do this right now!"

She just rolled her eyes and pushed me back into the dressing room from earlier. Claire, Hunter, and Lily were all in there now with their dresses on. We decided to pick different style dresses in the same color, that way every got to be happy. I hurried over to them and we all hugged, making various noises of excitement.

"I can't believe this is happening!"

"You look so beautiful!"

"My feet hurt and I'm hungry."

Claire was about seven months pregnant and over wearing heels. Guess which response was hers.

The door pushed open and Nana came into the room with us before I could respond to any of the girls. "It's time to start, you all need to line up."

I saw all of the girls make their way out to the backyard where the wedding was happening. I looked up to the clouds to see that they were dark and looked heavy. I hoped like hell it would start snowing when we kissed, that was my dream wedding.

Claire, Lily, and Hunter met up with Quil, Embry, and Seth before walking down the cobblestone aisle. I couldn't see Jake yet, but I knew he was standing at the end of it waiting for me. I was practically bouncing on my heels in my haste to get to him.

"Princess, are you ready?" dad asked, stepping into the foyer with me.

I took a deep breath and took my bouquet in my hands. It was red roses. I'd originally wanted wildflowers, but Alice told me that I needed something that represented how elegant I was. In the end, we just made the decision we knew would make her happy. I tucked my other hand in the bend of dad's elbow and allowed him to escort me to the doors.

I looked down the aisle, ignoring all the parka-cloaked people shivering in their seats, and locked eyes with Jake. His jaw dropped open and I saw his eyes go glassy as he looked at me for the first time in two days. I felt tears filling up my eyes and I had to force myself to walk slowly when the music started to play because I wanted to run to him.

I didn't worry about tripping over my feet or falling. I didn't worry about anyone watching me, all I worried about was the man waiting for me. Grampa was standing at the end of the aisle with Jake, but he was the least of my concern. I just wanted to get to my Imprint.

Dad handed me over to Jake and we locked hands, forgetting the others were there completely. Jake spoke quietly so only my family and the other wolves could hear, "You're so freakin' gorgeous. God, I can't believe I'm going to spend my life with you."

"I'm so glad I'm finally here. I missed you so much," I breathed, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

Grampa drew everyone's attention to him but mine and Jake's as he started speaking, there was no way we were looking at anything but each other. We repeated what we were supposed to repeat, anxious to get to our own written vows.

"Now the couple have written their own vows they want to recite to each other," Grampa said, making giddiness fill my stomach. "Jacob, you're first."

"Oh, great," he said anxiously, making the audience laugh as he gathered his breath. "Nes, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I spent a lot of my life wandering around trying to find my purpose, but then I saw you and everything changed. You're the reason I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep at night. The moment our eyes met, I knew my life would never be the same again. Saying you're my heart doesn't even scratch the surface of my feelings for you. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but then the next day comes and I love you even more. I promise to love you for the rest of our lives and always give you everything you want, need, and deserve. I promise to always protect you and always do what I know is best, even if you give me that look that makes weaker men cry. I promise to always love you and be there for you, even if things get hard. I promise this is it for me, you're it for me forever. I love you, Renesmee."

I was crying by the time he slid the ring onto my finger. No matter how hard I tried to keep them at bay, a couple escaped and trailed down my cheek. Alice's idea of using waterproof mascara and eyeliner was really smart. I could start blubbering dramatically at any second.

"Oh my god, how do I compete with that?" I asked, making the guests laugh again as Jake wiped away my tears. "All I know is I love you with every inch of my heart. You're my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye, even if it's just for a few minutes. My heart feels like it stops beating whenever we're apart only to start beating in rhythm with yours when we're together again. I know deep down I was made to love you and you were made to love me, and that's never going to change. You're my forever and I'm always going to be here with you, loving you through everything you do. I'm always going to be your biggest fan and your biggest supporter. I'm always going to make sure you do what's right, even if it means giving you that look. I promise to help you shoulder every burden in your life and never forget to do it with love. Every second for the rest of my life is going to be spent with you, I swear. I love you to the moon and back, always."

I slid the ring on his finger and swiped away his own tear with my thumb. Grampa said some more things, but all I could focus on was how hard Jake's heart was beating and how much I wanted to kiss him. Eventually we made it to our "I dos" and did them gracefully.

"I know pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Renesmee and Jacob Cullen-Black!" Grampa said happily. "Kiss your bride, Jake."

"Finally," Jacob breathed, holding my face and kissing me fiercely.

I dipped backwards, holding his wrists in my hands. I didn't have to worry about the kiss getting too passionate because I couldn't stop smiling. He pulled away and we turned back to face the guest who were standing, everyone staring at us with happiness brimming over.

Jake threw our hands in the air in a victory gesture, making the wolves howl with laughter and my dad glare playfully. I was giggling like crazy when we walked down the aisle together, him holding me close. The second we were out of their sight he, he pulled me upstairs to my room and hugged me close.

"God, I'm so glad that's over. I was so scared I was going to fall or something," I breathed against his chest, his heartbeat lulling me. "But we're married, you're all mine forever and ever now."

"I've been yours since I laid eyes on you," he told me, kissing my head and rubbing his hands on my back. "You're shaking, love. Are you okay?"

I nodded and burrowed further into him, wrapping my arms around his middle. "I'm a little cold, but you're fixing it. Don't worry, baby."

"Don't be having sex. Don't be having sex," Hunter chanted as she walked into my room with her eyes covered. "Oh, okay. You're not having sex, that one time was enough to scar me for life."

The two of us did go at it like animals, excuse the pun, whenever we were together. It was a minor miracle Hunter was the only one of our friends that had ever walked in on us. I felt my face flush and hid it against Jake's neck as he rubbed my hips soothingly.

"They're all asking where you are. It's time for the reception," she said, noting my embarrassment. "Honestly, why are you embarrassed? I've seen you naked almost as much as Jake if not more."

"Yes, but my entire family can hear you and so can the wolves. They're never going to forget you caught us," I hissed, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Stop being a bitch and come enjoy your reception," she rolled her eyes. "Jake, get your woman and bring her downstairs for the cake and dancing and merriment."

"Let me change my shoes and we'll be right down. I swear," I said, stepping out of Jake's arms and moving over to her. "Thank you for being my best friend and my maid of honor."

She hugged me back just as tight as I was hugging her. "It was so cool to be part of it. As long as you return the favor in June…"

"You and Seth are getting married?!" I shrieked, pulling back to look at her face. "I'm so happy for you!"

Jacob took my waist in his hands and placed his chin on my shoulder. "I'm happy for you, too. Thank you for making sure Seth behaved when he walked down the aisle."

"He'll do anything I ask, you know that," she replied before leaving us alone in my room again.

He rolled up his sleeves and I kissed his throat, leaving a red mark there from my lipstick. Speaking of, I grabbed a makeup remover wipe from the vanity and cleaned up his face from our kiss earlier. He was lucky he was so tan or the color would've been more noticeable.

He kissed my forehead before saying, "We'd better go."

"Just one more minute," I replied, holding him close and closing my eyes.

"We have the rest of our lives, that's a whole lot of minutes," he reminded me as he held me tight. "But this is good."

Yeah, this is good.

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 **Thanks for reading!**


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